Control for pressing machines



Dec. 12, 1939. -5, w JOHNSON 2,183,194

CONTROL FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed May 1'7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 11-1 27 INVENTOR 6 l9 L/ o GEORGE w. JOHNSON 13. 12, 1939. G. w, JOHNSON 2,183,194

7 CQNTRO'L FOR PRESSING MACQINES Filed flay 1'7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR GEORGE w. JOHNSON :to The American Laundry Machinery. Company,

Norwood, Ohio, a corporationoi Ohio u pplic tion: May 17,1937, Serial -'No. 143,085

' Claims. (c1. 3 -25)] This invention relates to improvements in controlmechanism for pressing machines. s v

object'of the present invention is to 'provide an improved s'afe'tWo-hand controlmecha- 'nism for a pressing machine arranged so that an operator may depress two manuals coincident-- 1y --t0 cause movement of the pressing members i into a safe closed position'under little or no pressure and then by 'an-additional move'mentin the same direction without shiftingithe position of h'er'h'ands upon'the manuals bring about final pressure. This control. mechanismplaces theposition of the pressing members at all times within'the control of theoperator so that at anytime duringth'e closing movement the press may be reopened to adjustthe position of the work or maybe-continued on through tofinal pressure, all

" at the option-of the'operator and without the loss of amoinents time. My invention also provides a positive control of amanual by the position otthepress parts so that final pressure-cannot be I produced until thepress hasbeen properly operated-tobring the"pressing members into safe closed position and. in suitable position for pro ducing the final pressure operation.

.In the drawings, Fig. 1' is an end elevation ofpress is in open position; Fig. 2 isfa similar view showing the movement of the control mechanism necessary'tobring'the pressing members to safe closed-position; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing themo'vemen't of the control members necessary l to' produ'ce final pressure; while Fig. 415' asimilar view showing the press fully closedwith theoperatorxoper'ated manuals released. 7

-While my inventionis applicable to many types of presses, I have shown the same as applied-to ama'ch'ine of the well knownscissors'type which is used in the pressing ofgarments, laundered artides and other'fabrics. Such presses today commonly use=contro1 mechanism including a pair. of manuals, spaced apart so as to require theposimantra hand'of-th'e operator on each of them when, the press is being. closed to preventa hand being caught between the approachingpressinga members. Sucha" control mechanism as comgofth rough to a 'final pressing position without further volition on'the' part'ofthe operator other rnonly constructed :has one or more of, the follow-- ihg'fiisadvantages. Either the pressing members than the act of depressing the manuals,- or if the riiovementofthe pressing members into Yfinal 55; pressing engagement is'u'nder the control of the to motor l9.

operator, itrequiressome'additional act on her part which is time consuming and sometimesthe 1.;umr D {STATE-S PATENT *orr cs;

; oon'rRoL FORPRESSING MACHINES George. W. Johnson; Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor control is so arranged that the operator is not definitely aware when the pressing members have reached safe closed position and are ready to'enter; the f nal phase of pressure engagement. By my improved control mechanism I overcome all of thesedisadvantages: giving the operator'positive control of the position of the pressing members at all times and making her definitely aware of the transition from safe-closedpolsition to the final phase of pressure engagement, all of this without requiring movement of additionalmanuals or the exercise of additional thought or effortonher part. v

.I have illustrated my invention as applied to a laundry pressofthe type disclosedand claimed in the vcopending'v application of John PQ'Singiser,

filediApril 25.1935; Ser. No; 18,146, to which further reference may be made if necessary tounderstand the operation of the press. Briefly, a frame I0; supports a pressing bed I mounted for ver- 'tical-rnovement in theirame and provided with a downwardly extending stem |2 which engages a lever 'l3='which is operableiby motorv M. A press-v ing head 15 is carried by the head lever it, the

rear end of which is connected by toggles I? normally held in the broken'lineposition of Fig. 1 by spring Hibut movable by motor l9 into and beyond straightened position as shown in Figs. 3 and fljto hold thepressing head in the position there shownandindicatecl in broken lines in Fig.

2. ,In'this position a'springpressedplunger is efiective to initially kick the toggle over center in l opening direction. I It will be obvious that with the toggles in the position of Figs. 3. andha pressure strut isffor'med which resists upward pressure of the bed ll against the head l5; Snubber mechanism 2! "isconnected by linkage 22 with the togglejso as to snub opening and closing movement of the press. I w

' The control-mechanism forsupplying pressure fluidto motor l9 comprises a normally closed inlet'valve 23a in valvecasing 23 which is operable through its valve stem 23?) by manual 23c. Valve casingqz l houses a normally closed inlet valve Har and a normally open outlet valve 241), both on a "commons tern 24c and operable by manual 2401. Upondepression of manuals 23c and 24d pressure fluid-flows from conduit 25 through casing 123, conduit 26,- casing 24 and conduit 21 The control valves 'for' motor I 4 are housed in casing 28 which maybe rigidor integral with. casii'rig 23 as' shown. "These-valves comprise a normally closed inlet valve 28a and a normally open outlet valve 28b on a common stem 280. On the rear end of this valve stem is a shoulder 28d which, when the valves are moved into actuated position, is engageable by a spring pressed latch 29. The latch has an inclined face 29a which coacts with a complementary face on the shoulder 28d so as to yieldingly urge the valves in casing 28 toward actuated position while they are so held by the latch. The latch has an arm-29b which is engageable by a release lever 30 to renormal position evacuating motor M, at which lease the latch and permit the valves in casing 28 to return to their normal position under the bias of their actuating spring.

The valves in casing 28 are operable by an additional movement of manual 230 in the same direction and beyond that necessary for the sup- I is'released, valve 230, closes and the pressure fluid ply of fluid to motor l9. Such additional movement, however, is normally prevented by a shoulder St on valve stem 231) which engages a block 32 which is rigid with or operable by the piston rod 33 of a piston 34 which form parts of a servomotor 35. A spring 3% normally urges the piston 34 downwardly holding the parts in the position of Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The block 32, however, has an opening 32a through which the shoulder portion 3! of valve stem 23b is adapted to pass when piston 3 and its associated parts are raised as shown in Fig. 3. This occurs when the piston of motor l9 has passed a port 911 in the cylinder of the motor, thus supplying fluid through conduit 3! to servomotor 35. At this time further movement of manual 2150 downwardly is possible as shown in Fig. 3, causing valve stem 23b to engage the valves in casing 28 and move them to their operated position where they are held by the latch;

As actually installed upon a pressing machine,

the manuals 23c and 24d are spaced apart at the front of the machine suiiiciently to require a hand of the operator on each of them to produce a pressing operation.

With the parts in the position of Fig. 1, the operator arranges the work upon the bed I I and depresses manuals 23c and 24d to the position of Fig. 2. This admits fluid to motor 19 moving toggle I! toward straightened position and when completed placing the pressing head in the broken line position of Fig. 2 which is the safe closed position where the operator cannot place a hand between the pressing members. Until this position is reached it is impossible to produce final pressure engagement of the pressing members and the operator is aware of this by the engagement of shoulder 3| with block 32. During this period of preliminary closure the operator may release either of the manuals to stop and reopen the pressing head and to permit her to give an additional adjustment to the work on bed ii if desired. In many machines the pressing head would come down so rapidly to pressing engagement with the coacting bedthat a garment in a wrinkled condition might be subjected to a preliminary pressure necessitating the removal of the garment and a dampening thereof before it could be properly processed. With my improved control, however, this cannot occur becauseuntil the pressing head reaches the broken line position of Fig. 2 no final pressure engagement of the pressing members is possible. When, however, the press is safe closed, without the loss of a moment and without any different movement of her hand but by simply continuing the pressure in the same direction on manual 23c, fluidis supplied to motor ating motor l9, The press remains closed until theopei ator actuates the release member 30, returning latch 29 to its upper position and permitting the valves in casing 28 to return to time plunger 28 and spring l8 will open the press. During the preliminary closing movement, if manual 24d is released, valve 24a closes, valve E i-b opens and motor 19 is evacuated permitting the springs to reopen the head. If manual 230 in motor IS leaks out a small vent l9b permitting the press to open.

WhatIclaimisz,,

1. In a pressing machine, a pair ,of coacting ressing members, power means for causing relativeapproach movement of said membersin two steps, first step into a preliminary closed position and a second step into final closed'position, two control members requiring coincidental actuation for controllingfirst step operation of said no means andspaced apart to require two hands of an operator forcoincidental actuation thereof, one of said control members havingan addit. "18.1 movement in the same direction beyond that necessary for causing first step operation, a control member for causing. second step operation and operable: by said additional movement, means normally disabling. said additional movement against second-step control member operation, and means for enabling said additional movementupon the press parts reaching-preliminary closed position. I

2. In a pressing machine, the combinationof claim 1 including means for retaining said second step control member in operated position, and means for causing a return of the said member to unoperated position to release the press. I

3. In a pressing machine, apairof coacting pressing members each movable toward the othe r, agfirst motor for moving one of said members to safe closed position adjacent; the other, a. second motor formoving said other member into pressing engagement with said one member, two control members requiring coincidental actuation for causing operation of saidfirst motor,-said controlmein-bers being spaced apart tog require two hands of an operator for coincidental actuation thereof, one of said control members havingan additional movementin the same direction beyondthat necessary for causingoperation orsaidfirst motor, a control member for causing operation of said second motor and operable-.by said additional movement, means normallyblocking said additional movement, and means forunblocking said first motor control member topermit said additional 2,183,194 1 c j. 1 3f said members into safe closed position adjacent the other, said mechanism being so constructed position two control members requiring coincimotor, said control members being spaced apart to require two hands of an operator for coincidental act'uation thereof, at least one of said dental actuation for causingoperation of said control members having an additional movement in the samedirection beyond that necessary 'for 1' causingoperation of said I motor, a valve for causing. operation of said fluid actuated means and operable by said additional movement, means normally disabling said additional movement against operation of said valve, means for enabling valve operation bysaid additional movement when the press parts reach safe closed position, and releasable means for holding said 1 'valve in operated position GEORGE W.'JoHNsoNf 

